¶ Purpose
Strategic planning is a process by which an organization verifies where it's at, where it's going, and how it'll get there. Through careful planning that addresses our association's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, the MSA will make large strides towards its true potential.
Strategic planning ensures that board members are:
- Taking into consideration and working towards the longevity of the MSA
- Prioritizing their goals and tactics to make the best use of their one-year term
- Reminded of the deeper meaning to their service once work picks up and becomes routine
¶ Facilitator
The President will be responsible for facilitating this year-long process. S/he will ensure that the board is keeping up with the timeline outlined in this document and assigning the appropriate action items. Throughout the year, the President will lead reflective exercises about the MSA's progress and hold the association accountable to its goals.
¶ Overview
A strategic plan has a few components. The foundational blocks consist of a vision, mission, goals, and tactics that build up and support each other. Watch this video for an overview of each of these components.
Although this video is framed in a corporate context, the same definitions can be applied where stakeholders and clients are our community members.
¶ Inputs
Where are we now?
- SWOT Analysis:
- What are our current strengths and weaknesses?
- What are our current opportunities and threats?
- PESTLE Analysis:
- What is our current political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental situation?
- Internal Surveying:
- Annual Muslim Experience Survey
- Meeting with key demographics from the community and collecting feedback
- Taking the perspective of previous board members
¶ Vision
If success was a place, how would you know if you got there?
- Where are we going?
- Where do we see the MSA in 3-5 years?
- What about in 10-25 years?
- Why should we go there?
- What is success?
- What is a BIG goal that everyone can be excited and motivated about?
Tip: Should be clear, descriptive, and vivid.
¶ Mission
- Why do we exist?
- Who do we do it for?
- Who is our main audience?
- What do we do for them?
Tip: Keep it simple, no buzz words.
¶ Values
- What is the DNA of our organization?
- What do we value?
- What are the cultures and norms of our organization?
- How would we describe the organization if it were a person?
- What is "the way we do things around here?"
- What is not exceptable behavior?
¶ Goals
- Identify a handful of startegic goals (3-5) that push the association towards the vision
- Goals should cascade to various levels:
- Organizational Level - for the MSA as a whole
- Team Level - for the each branch of the MSA (board, committees, etc)
- Functional Level - for integral functions of the MSA (fundraising, marketing, etc)
- Individual Level - for each board member, officer, committee head, and community member
- Goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Bound)
¶ Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)
- How do we measure our progress towards our goals?
- How do we quantify abstract ideas (ie inclusivity, transparency, etc)?
¶ Tactics
Actionable tasks that move us closer to achieving our goals
- What will each board member focus on during the summer, fall and spring semesters to contribute to our goals?
- What tasks will be assigned to officers, committee heads, and community members?
¶ Process
The strategic planning process begins during the Board Leadership Retreat in April, picks up during the summer, and is iterated upon throughout the rest of the academic year.
¶ Board Leadership Retreat
A portion of the Board Leadership Retreat should be dedicated to free brainstorming of ideas that people have for the improvement of the MSA. An hour or two should be set aside, with the goal of making the longest list. The intention behind this exercise is to expose everyone to the breadth of improvements possible: ranging from how the MSA delivers Islamic curriculum to addressing food insecurity or formalizing our digital brand. It's okay if people disagree with ideas; this list is meant to get everyone's creative juices flowing and is not binding. The facilitator should let participants know this and ask that discussions around each point are kept short. This list should be saved for later stages of the strategic planning process.
After this exercise, participants should be informed of the next steps for the summer break strategic planning process.
¶ Summer Break
The rising MSA board begins their term on the first day of the summer break and must begin meeting weekly (virtually) no later than the fifth week of the summer break. The first four meetings will be dedicated to strategic planning at the least before other pre-semester planning can take place.
¶ Meeting 1: Assessing our Vision
Before the meeting
- Ask that everyone draft their own vision for the MSA
- Send out the guiding questions listed under the "Vision" heading above
During the meeting
- Have everyone present their vision
- Read the current official MSA vision statement (from previous boards)
- Identify key focus areas that are common across everyone's vision statements
- Begin to formulate an outline for the board's vision
After the meeting
- Finalize the wording of the board's vision statement
Why go through this process if the MSA already has an official vision statement?
The MSA board does not have to draft a vision statement that replaces the current official MSA vision statement each year. The official vision statement is usually short and general, useful for placement on the website and promotional materials. Every year, however, the board is expected to build upon the official statement and draft their own in depth vision statement. This statement does not have to be pretty or concise. It will serve as a reference internally between board members and communicated orally to community members at events. This exercise is important because it unites the board around a common long-term vision in which they feel invested.
¶ Meeting 2: Assessing our Mission
Before the meeting
- Ask that everyone draft their own mission for the MSA
- Send out the guiding questions listed under the "Mission" heading above
During the meeting
- Have everyone present their mission
- Read the current official MSA mission statement (from previous boards)
- Identify key focus areas that are common across everyone's mission statements
- Begin to formulate an outline for the board's mission
After the meeting
- Finalize the wording of the board's mission statement
Why go through this process if the MSA already has an official mission statement?
Similar to the reasoning for revisiting the MSA vision when an official statement already exists, this exercise intends to allow the board to unite around a common understanding of what the MSA does and who it does it for. It is an opportunity to clear up any contradictory understandings of MSA's mission before board members are assigned any work. The board's mission statement does not need to replace the MSA's official mission statement.
¶ Meeting 3: Defining the Year's Goals
Before the meeting
- Ask that everyone list a handful of overarching goals that the MSA should attempt to accomplish by the end of the academic year
- Send out the guiding questions listed under the "Goals" heading above
During the meeting
- Have everyone present their proposed goals
- Read the previous MSA board's goals
- Identify key focus areas that are common across everyone's proposed goals
- Begin to group proposed goals and narrow them down to five or less
After the meeting
- Finalize the wording of the board's overarching goals for the academic year
¶ Meeting 4: Identifying Tactics
Before the meeting
- Ask that everyone identify 5 ways they can contribute to each of the official goals through their own board member positions. They may also propose tactics that should be assigned to other branches of the MSA (officers, committees, sister organizations, etc)
- Send out the guiding questions listed under the "Tactics" heading above
During the meeting
- Have everyone present their proposed tactics
- Discuss the effectiveness of the various tactics as a group
- Formalize a list of tactics that everyone believes will contribute to accomplishment of the MSA's overarching goals.
After the meeting
- Finalize the definitions of each board member's tactics, ensuring that they are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Bound)
¶ Remainder of the Summer
For the remainder of the summer the board will continue to meet weekly. Discussions during these meetings will expand on the board's goals and tactics. Board members will be held accountable to action items that get them started on their assigned tactics. The details of any new organizational restructuring and initiatives will be defined. The board will take advantage of this rare opportunity to work on foundational aspects of the MSA before the academic year begins and board members get caught up in the logistics of day-to-day activities.
¶ Fall Semester
Once the academic year begins, 80% of the board's focus shifts to the day-to-day operation of the MSA. It is the President's job to remind the board of the agreed upon vision and goals where appropriate throughout the semester. The President will ensure that an optimal balance is maintained between work for the present and work for the future.
¶ Mid-Year Assessment
Before the end of the fall semester, the President should dedicate at least on board meeting for a mid-year assessment. The President should ask some of the following questions and allow the board a chance to reflect on their progress after one semester.
- Describe our efforts as a board so far in one word
- Describe your experience serving on board in one word
- Are we on the path to achieving our three goals? How so?
- Are we working in accordance with our mission?
Another aspect of the mid-year assessment is asking board members to evaluate one another. Board members will be asked to create their own anonymous feedback forms. The President will gather everyone's form submission links on a document and store it in the UCBMSA > Board > Feedback > Board Feedback Google Drive folder. Board members will be asked to give each other at least one positive and one constructive point of feedback to other fellow board members.
¶ Winter Break
The winter break is a great time for the board to take a break from meetings for a few weeks. That being said, it is also an opportunity to take a step back, revisit institutional questions about the MSA, and prepare for overarching projects before the spring semester.
¶ Spring Semester
Much like the fall semester, the President should ensure that the board is taking the require steps to achieving its overarching goals before the end of their term. The board should conduct an end-of-the-year assessment similar to the mid-year assessment. The board will also communicate its goals, progress, and suggested next steps to the new board during the transition process.
¶ Communication
The MSA board should make sure to regularly communicate their strategic plan with the community throughout their term. This will grant community members transparency, an understanding of what the board is prioritizing, and the ability to hold the board accountable to its goals. The board should also collect feedback from community members and modify their goals to fit the interests of the community.
Where the board should communicate their strategic plan:
- Community Nights
- In person conversations
- Facebook Group Description
- Website
¶ Previous Boards' Strategic Plans
For your reference, previous year's strategic plans are included below.
¶ 2021-2022
TBD
¶ 2020-2021
¶ Vision
Berkeley MSA strives to cultivate a strong campus community that celebrates our rich Islamic heritage in accordance with the teachings of our Prophet (peace be upon him). We seek to maintain a welcoming and inclusive community that cherishes and appreciates our diversity of background and belief, and engages with the campus, local, national, and global issues that affect our Muslim community. We also aim to connect our community with the spiritual, academic, and professional resources they need to become future leaders.
¶ Mission
UC Berkeley MSA strives to benefit our community by leveraging our internal and external relationships to build a strong community:
Internal development includes::
- Provide spiritual programming that is accessible, relevant, and educational in order to achieve our goal of bringing our community closer to Allah
- Achieve financial stability to in order to make our programming and resources financially accessible to all our community members, and potentially alleviate the financial burdens of those in our community
- Develop resilient ways of building community bonds and bringing our community together even when physical gatherings are not possible
- Develop and further institutionalize our relationships with community members and organizations of minority backgrounds, while further developing our existing relationships with sibling organizations
External development includes:
- Develop strong connections with other faith-based organizations
- Advocate for the Muslim voice on the UC Berkeley campus and beyond campus
- Service and partnerships with local mosques and community organizations
- Educational resources and opportunities about Islam for the rest of the UC Berkeley campus
¶ Goals
- Continue coalition-building and institutionalizing relationships with external organizations, including but not limited to sibling, interfaith, and off-campus organizations
- Develop novel ways to provide relevant and spiritually guided programming to our community in an exceedingly remote climate
- Renew our commitment to abolishing injustice within our community through auditing our practices, making space for marginalized voices, and empowering community leaders to serve their community
- Further institutionalize MSA practices, values, and processes to facilitate uninterrupted progress toward long-term, multi-year initiatives
¶ Links
- Vision Statement 2020-2021
- Mission Statement 2020-2021
- Goals 2020-2021
- Tactics 2020-2021
- Mid-Year Assessment 2020-2021 TBD
¶ 2019-2020
¶ Vision
The UC Berkeley MSA envisions an inclusive and welcoming campus community of Islamically driven students from diverse backgrounds. A community of proactive student leaders that utilize our university’s assets to advocate for our broader Muslim community and allies. A community of role models that strive to be the best representatives of Islam through virtuous character and compassionate service. An affluent community supported by a strong network of qualified mentors, scholars, university administrators, alumni, and institutional partners.
¶ Mission Statement
The mission of UC Berkeley MSA is to strengthen and support its Berkeley Muslim community through internal and external development that builds a strong community and capitalizes on the University’s resources and public attention.
Internal development includes:
- Community building through socials, inter-community discussion, and new student programming
- Spiritual programming that attracts Muslim students to the Islamic way of life and instills lifelong commitment to the causes of our Ummah
- Free and accessible mental health resources and counselors with an Islamic background
- Engaging physical activities and outings that improve our student’s physical wellbeing
- Leadership development opportunities such that our students are well prepared to lead our communities
- Career development and networking opportunities such that our student body is prepared for graduate school and/or industry
- Organizational financial stability
External development includes:
- Advocacy for the Muslim voice on the UC Berkeley campus and beyond campus
- Networking and relationship development with local/campus organizations
- Service and partnerships with local mosques
- Educational resources and opportunities about Islam for the rest of the UC Berkeley campus
¶ Goals
- Building an inclusive and involved campus community
- Strengthening the foundational structure and improving communication (Documentation, Constitution, Drive)
- Developing external relationships to create a strong support network (Admin, other orgs, mosques, MSAs)
¶ Links
- Vision Statement 2019-2020
- Mission Statement 2019-2020
- Goals 2019-2020
- Tactics 2019-2020
- Mid-Year Assessment 2019-2020
¶ Comprehension Quiz
If you were instructed to read this page as part of an online training curriculum, you must submit this quiz and answer all questions correctly. In the case that you do not answer a question correctly, you may view which questions were incorrect and take the quiz again.
